Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday lauded the decision by Eastern Nagaland Peoples Organisation (ENPO) to withdraw its assembly election boycott call, saying it is an expression of trust in the Modi government.
The ENPO, which has been demanding separate statehood – Frontier Nagaland – comprising six districts of Mon, Tuensang, Longleng, Kiphire, Shamatore and Noklak, had given the poll boycott call to press for their demand.“It is heartening that in an expression of trust in the Modi government, the Eastern Nagaland Peoples Organisation (ENPO) in Nagaland has withdrawn its call to boycott the assembly elections. The decision will help in keeping the ongoing process of peace and development unhindered,” Shah said in tweets.
The home minister said he was grateful to the group for the positive gesture reaffirming ENPO's commitment to democratic processes. Shah said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made untiring efforts to assure the people of Northeast India that the government is with them and the ENPO's move is an approval of these endeavours.
According to an ENPP release, the decision was taken during its executive meeting held in Dimapur on Saturday following the request of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to review the August 26, 2022 resolution of ENPO and its constituent tribal bodies and frontal organisations to abstain in any election process.
The ENPO also requested all citizens to cooperate with the government in the conduct of the election and not create any law and order problems. In a release, the ENPO said the meeting discussed the assurance given by Union Home Minister Amit Shah to ENPO office bearers on February 2 and after due consultation with its constituent tribal bodies and frontal organisations relaxed its resolution with immediate effect.
The ENPO area has 20 seats in the 60-member Nagaland Assembly. The last date for filling nominations for the Nagaland Assembly elections is February 7 for the February 27 polls.
